This invention pertains generally to basketball retrieval and return apparatus and, more specifically, relates to central structure for such apparatus which controls the direction of ball return.
Various structures and devices have been provided in the prior art for the purpose of retrieving basketballs from the area of the hoop and backboard on a conventional basketball court and returning them to the general position of a player and thereby enable successive shooting practice from a predetermined position without the need for the player to retrieve the ball. Examples of various forms of apparatus for this purpose will be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,838,308; 3,776,550; 3,901,506; and 3,917,263. Such prior art devices as disclosed in the foregoing patents either are intended to return retrieved balls generally onto the court without regard to a specific pretargeted player position or, as in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,550, to one single definite player positioned on the court.